I've really done no research on Quickload, but had considered looking into it and saw this thread. Can those who have purchased the program and have used it fairly extensively comment on its worth?
I may see this differently than some, but I don't think a company is greedy for trying to sell a product. That's business. I'd just buy the program if I wanted the data. Seems fair.
I typically start by making a prediction/estimate using all the pertinent inputs for which I actually have solid values (barrel length, bullet OAL, case trim length, case volume, COAL, etc.), together with the factory preset powder file values. I then adjust the charge weight in the program to find [predicted] MAX pressure. Where possible for a given barrel length and bullet weight, I then reduce the charge weight incrementally in the program until the predicted barrel time matches an OBT Node, further reduce that charge weight by ~2%, then load round and get an actual velocity for that charge weight. Once back home, I then input the correct temperature and adjust the burn rate (Ba) until the predicted velocity exactly matches the measured averaged velocity for that charge weight. I refer to this process as "calibrating" the program to a particular setup.
Once the program has been calibrated to particular setup (rifle/powder/bullet/brass/etc.), I find the predicted values QL generates to be pretty good within a certain range. The farther away the actual load ends up from the calibration charge weight, the more it may need to be tweaked. The program treats certain outputs as being perfectly linear, but they often are not. It's not a problem, I continually tweak and re-tweak files during the load development process then save the new files, so I end up with a series of files over time that represent the load development process, the individual files being identified by date, among other things.
If you use Chris Long's OBT Node theory as a guide to load development, QL is indispensable. A program like QL is the only way most shooters can readily obtain barrel time values. In the grand scheme of things, I probably don't use even one third of the features QL has. Nonetheless, I find it a useful tool to expedite the load development process. QL will not make load evaluation unnecessary - you still have to load rounds, shoot them, and evaluate the targets. However, I find that it makes it faster and simpler to get a load dialed in. For that reason alone it is worth the cost. However, it is also useful for making estimates of reasonably achievable velocities for a given barrel length, the approximate pressures that may be associated with such loads, how COAL and freebore length affect pressure/velocity, optimizing powder choices, and a host of other things. So I also find it useful when having a new rifle built, or having a barrel chambered for bullet and/or I haven't previously used.
